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Yes thats true but more layers can also makes things messier and less intuitive.

I wholeheartedly agree - but it's very important to organize the layers that you do have. Have stuff that's above be on higher layers, and vice versa. It'll all make sense if you just take the time to puzzle it out.

Watch out for having too much transparency from photoshop in the image - it makes things look like there's the wrong amount of distance between the objects and the viewer. It's simple enough to take out these sorts of transitions with a softer, opaque brush.

I wholeheartedly agree - but it's very important to organize the layers that you do have. Have stuff that's above be on higher layers, and vice versa. It'll all make sense if you just take the time to puzzle it out.

Watch out for having too much transparency from photoshop in the image - it makes things look like there's the wrong amount of distance between the objects and the viewer. It's simple enough to take out these sorts of transitions with a softer, opaque brush.

Hey Frida Bergholtz, nice image.
I like the composition and it looks like you've got a good start to the colors!

Before you get too far, I would suggest changing the womans pose. Straight profile is not a very interesting pose and would not impress as much in a portfolio as a 3/4 (or anything else really). Try and give an angle that would make for the most interesting portrait, since the woman is all you are working with.
Her gaze also leads us off the cover (assuming the book jacket is around a closed book.)

Having her engage the viewers eye might not be a bad idea since grabbing attention is the principal function of a book cover. Try and find some good inspirational material. Maybe go for a "Girl with Pearl Earing" by Vermeer-type look: Attachment 692238

What purpose does it serve to be able to see her nipples through her shirt?

Hey Frida Bergholtz, nice image.
I like the composition and it looks like you've got a good start to the colors!

Before you get too far, I would suggest changing the womans pose. Straight profile is not a very interesting pose and would not impress as much in a portfolio as a 3/4 (or anything else really). Try and give an angle that would make for the most interesting portrait, since the woman is all you are working with.
Her gaze also leads us off the cover (assuming the book jacket is around a closed book.)

Having her engage the viewers eye might not be a bad idea since grabbing attention is the principal function of a book cover. Try and find some good inspirational material. Maybe go for a "Girl with Pearl Earing" by Vermeer-type look: Attachment 692238

What purpose does it serve to be able to see her nipples through her shirt?

Rock on!

Those are all valid points and I have considered them. Especially the point with that a profile isnt very engaging is bothering me, since I know that eye contact is important. However i have two reasons for wanting to keep this view.

The first one is that I wanted to make paint the cover in a suitable historical style. A bit like this.

The historical portraiture you referenced have the torso also facing in complete profile. It's gotta be one way or the other... Or maybe there can be a compromise: Turn her head SLIGHTLY towards us, so that we JUST see a bit of her other eyebrow, other nostril, etc.
Since this is a character-oriented cover, having a bit of a 3/4 show there is more than one side to her, excuse the terrible pun! The profile portraiture often done for noblemen and -women wanted to make them seem perfect, aloof, unattainable. This woman seems more friendly than that, and wistful.

"Skill is the result of trying again and again, applying our ability and proving our knowledge as we gain it. Let us get used to throwing away the unsuccessful effort and doing the job over. Let us consider obstacles as something to be expected in any endeavor; then they won't seem quite so insurmountable or so defeating." - Andrew Loomis

give her a strong pose, she's a brave woman right? I think the last pick shows that, and even gives her more personalety cus she seams to be thinking about her chooise. she seems to have some intention in that, she looks fierce, and also a bit hesetant? I don't know if that is intentional? or fitting, I don't know the book. the first one looks very lifeless, the secound one looks like "Im here to do what Im told, and try to look cute in the process" cute but boring, go with the last one or one similar to that i'd say

the english contryside bg, dosent really bring the story forward, I mean you have alredy established the timeperiod by her clothes, maybe put her house behind her in the bg of the front cover (shoing that she is leaving) and maybe blend the contryside into cliffs by a stormy dark ocean in the back cover. or maybe give her some luggage, I don't know but, right not the bg just looks nice it dosen't really tell us anything. (or maybe it is? is she going to a castle where her husband is being inprisoned?) maybe she shuld have something belonging to her husband on her to, so we can guess what she is thinking of. just suggestions